Producer says the new Star Wars show may be too 'adult' for TV

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We already know that budget constraints could leave us waiting quite some time to see Lucasfilm's live-action TV series Star Wars: Underworld. But according to longtime Lucas producer Rick McCallum, there's a bigger obstacle than the show's finances: It's not exactly family-friendly.

McCallum has always been realistic about just how soon the show might become a reality. Despite 50 hours of scripts already in Lucasfilm's hands, the series' scope and special effects needs would place its cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $5-6 million per episode, and it takes time to secure that kind of dough. McCallum calls the series "bigger than any film we've ever done," but this is Lucasfilm. They're no strangers to size, so obviously that can be seen as more of a challenge than an inhibitor. What's got McCallum more worried is how to sell the show's adult content and still maintain the Star Wars brand.

"Our biggest problem is that these stories are adult. I mean...these are like Deadwood in space. It so unlike anything you've ever associated with George before in relation to Star Wars. These aren't for kids. I mean, we hope they'll watch, but it's not being targeted at 8-to-9 year old boys."

While "Deadwood in space" might be a big selling point for adult fans, the Star Wars brand has almost always been geared toward families, particularly in the realm of television. That creates new issues for this kind of story that McCallum and company have to get around, but they're certainly not giving up. McCallum also noted that those 50 scripts are "second draft scripts" and mentioned that "it would probably take a year of prep before shooting would start." That's not a guarantee that shooting will start in a year, but it's definitely a sign that McCallum still sees the show on the horizon.

So will the next Star Wars series see bounty hunters and smugglers cursing up on a storm on HBO? Time will tell.